Bailer



my i5, 1924.

. A. BOYNTON BAILBR Filed May 8,

tPatented duly 15, 1224 ALEXANDER BOYNTON, OF SAN ANTONI, TEXAS.

p Bamm.

Application led May 8, 1922. Serial No. 559,363.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known-that l, ALEXANDER BOYNTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Bailers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bailers especially adapted for use in withdrawing mud and sludge from wells.

One of the primary features of this invention resides in providing means whereby to save the oil withdrawn .from the well along with the mud.

More specifically a bailer constructed in accordance'with this invention is provided with simple means whereby the oil which is received within the bailer is prevented from escaping after the mud is discharged. It might be stated that the oil loss when bailing a small well is ordinarily from$100 to $200 per day and by savingthis oil, production is assured even during the bailing process.

Further an important object of the invention is to provide a bailer having means whereby the downward thrust of the same is utilized to force the mud into the bailer.

A further object is to provide a bailer for oil wells having oppositely arranged openings for the discharge of the mud, the openings being substantially greater in area than the cross-'sectional area of the bailer and in use one of the openings may be employed as an inlet for steam or water and the loosened or melted mud may be dis'- charged through the other opening along with the steam or water, whereby Athe steam s prevented from returning through the opening by which it: entered.

Ar further object of this invention is to provide a bailer which is of highly simplified constructiom. durable in use and cheap to manufacture. v

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, formin a part of this application and in which llke numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved bailer, A

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same,

Figure 3 is a4 perspective of a sleeve embodied in the invention,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4 4 of Figure 2.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 50 designates an inner sleeve, the forward end of which is eXteriorly screw threaded for engagement with a bailer bottom designated by the numeral 51. The bailer bottom 51 has itsforward end open and formed with a plurality of large 't-shaped recesses 52 to assist in cutting and mixing the mud and to allow the mud to be freely received within the bailer.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, an annular valve seat 53 is received within the bailer bottom 51 and is mounted on an annular shoulder 54 formed within the bailer bottom. The top of the valve seat 53 is engaged by the forward end of the inner sleeve 50 and is securely and positively held in position thereby.

A valve 56 is pivotally connected to the valve seat 53 as indicated at 57 and when elevated allows mud to freely enter the inner sleeve 50. On the other hand, the valve 56 when lowered into engagement with the seat 53 prevents the discharge of the mud through the forward end of the bailer.

When the bailer is lowered into the well, the downward thrust of the same is utilized to force the mud into the inner sleeve and of course as the mud enters the sleeve the pivoted valve 56 is raised and on the kreturn stroke of the bailer the valve 56 is lowered.

The forward portion ofthe inner sleeve `50 is provided with a pair of oppositely arranged longitudinally extending slots 59 which provide a means .whereby the mud may be discharged. yThe longitudinally extending slots 59 have al combined area substantially greater than the cross-sectional area of the sleeve 50 so that the mud may readily be discharged.v

When the bailer 1s lowered into the well sa I 1,501,306

the outer sleeve 60 is eXtended over the openings 59 so as to prevent premature discharge of the mud. The sleeve 60 has its forward portion enlarged and formed with an L- shaped slot 61 having Vertical and transverse branches adapted for the reception of a locking pin 62 carried by the inner sleeve. The sleeve 60 may be locked in its lowered position by rotating the sleeve and causing the locking pin 62 to be received within the transverse branch of the slot 61. lVhen the sleeve 60 is thus locked in its advanced posi* tion, the openings 59 are entirely covered for preventing the loss of the mud sludge or other contents before it is withdrawn from the well. The rear portion of the bailer bottom 5l is provided with an annular groove 64 to receivethe forward portion of the sleeve 60 when the sleeve is lowered. By reason of this construction a mud gasket, so to speak, is constantly provided in recess 64 upon which outer sleeve 60 seats to form a joint that will not leak.

l/Vhen the bailer ladened with mud is withdrawn from the well the sleeve 60 may be manually gripped and may be rotated and subsequently elevated for exposing the openings 59 through which the mud may be discharged. If it is desired to free both hands of the operator for removing the mud, the outer sleeve 60 may be hung or locked in its elevated position by means of a locking pin 67 carried by the inner sleeve. The pin or screw 67 may be received within a substantially U-shaped slot 68 formed in the rear portion of the outer sleeve. The substantially U-shaped slot 68 is formed with long and short longitudinally extending branches and with a short transverse connecting branch and when the screw 67 is received within the short branch 69 the outer sleeve is securely and positively held in an elevated position.

If the mud within the bailer shouldbe so thick that it will not readily discharge through the slots 59 the bailer may be churned on tl derrick sill or a steam hose may be employed for melting down the mud. In this latter case the steam hose is introduced through one of the slots and thel mud will pass out through the other slot. As previously stated, the large area of the openings 59 allows the mud to be quickly dumped. If the mud isheavy and too thick to run, it may be thrust out in large sections through one of the dumping slots, thus causing the mud above to drop down to a position between the slots whereupon this operation may be repeated until all of the heavy mud has been discharged. If desired, the steam hose may be intro-duced through the upper portion of one of the slots for melting down the mud, in which case the melted mud and steam may pass out through both of the slots. lf the hose is introduced through the upper port-ion of one of the slots the upper wall of the slot may be employed as a. fulcrum and the mud may be forced downwardly through bothslots.

Attention is called to curve in slot at 61. lVhen sleeve 6() is dropped over pin 62 said curve thrusting upon pin produtes a rotary movement of sleeve 60, which automatically closes and locks same into place.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the outer sleeve cannot become lost in the well even if the bailer bottom 51 should be lost, as the locking pin 62 would remain and form an effective means for limiting the downward mo-vement of the same. A

One of the principal features of this invention resides in the fact that the outer sleeve 60 forms a reliable means for saving oil carried in the bailer. As soon as the oil begins to flow from the bailer, subsequent of course to the discharge of the mud, the outer sleeve 60 may and lowered to the position illustrated in Figure 1. In this position the slots 59 are effectively closed and the loss of the oil is positively prevented. The oil thus saved within the bailer may be returned to the well. In the hailing of a small well` a. hundred or more barrels of oil is always lost in bailing with the old method, and by the use of this invention the full production of the well may be saved during the period of hailing.

With reference to the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings` it will be apparent that. a bailer constructed in accordance with this invention is extremely economical and efiicient in operation and that. the mud can be convenient-ly discharged when the bailer is removed from the well. It will be further seen that the substantial saving of oil which is brought about renders the use of this invention extremely desirable and pra-cthfal.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the saine and that such minor changes in arrangement and construction of parts may be made as will remain within the spirit of the invention and the scope of what is claimed.

Having thus described the invent-ion, what I claim is 1. A bailer comprising a body having discharge means, a gravity actuated sleeve mounted on said body and adapted to close said discharge means, said sleeve provided with a slot having a branch,l a locking pin carried by said body and adapted to be received in said branch to lock the sleeve over said discharge means, said pin being adapted to limit the forward movement of -said sleeve on the body, and a bailer bottom connected to said bodv and limiting the forward movement of said sleeve and cooperating be instantly released monaca with the pin in this respect, the rear portion of the bailer bottom being rabbetted to snugly receive the forward portion of said sleeve whereby to provide a seal between the sleeve and the body. e

2. A bailer for wells comprising a sleeve, a bailer bottom connected to said sleeve, an inlet valve carried by said bailer bottom, said sleeve being provided with discharge openings of a greater area than the cross sectional area of the sleeve whereby the mud may be freely discharged, and a second sleeve mounted on the first named sleeve and forming a means to close said openings, said bailer bottom being provided with means providing a seal between the first and secondnamed sleeves.

3. A bailer for wells comprising a sleeve, a bailer bottom connected to said sleeve, an inlet valve carried by said bailer bottom, said sleeve being provided with discharge openings of a greater area than the cross sectional area of the sleeve whereby the mud may be freely discharged, a second sleeve mounted on the first named sleeve and forming a means to close said openings, and means whereby to lock the sleeve in its lowered position.

e. A bailer for wells comprising a sleeve, a bailer bottom connected to said sleeve, an inlet valve carried by said bailer bottom, said sleeve being provided with discharge openings of a greater `area than the cross sectional area of the sleeve whereby the mud may be freely discharged, a second sleeve mounted on the first named sleeve and forming a means to close said openings, means whereby to lock the sleeve in its lowered position, and means whereby the second sleeve may be locked in its elevated position. e

5. A bailer for oil wells comprising a sleeve having mud discharge openings of an area substantially greater than the cross sectional area of the sleeve, and a gravity actuated sleeve mounted on said first named sleeve and forming a means to close said openings, and preventetheescape of the oil within the bailer, there being means to detachably secure said gravity actuated sleeve above said opening.

6. A; bailer for oil wells comprising a sleeve having openings substantially greater in area thanthe cross sectional area of the sleeve whereby the mud may be freely dis- A charged, a second sleeve mounted on said first named sleeve and forming a means whereby the openings may be closed for conlining the oil within the bailer, a valve arranged at the 'forward Vend of said sleeve, and means to secure the second sleeve over said openin s or rearwardly of said openings.

7. A. bai er for oil wells com rising a sleeve having openings substantial y greater in cross sectional area than the cross sectionalarea of the sleeve whereby the mud may be freely discharged, a second sleeve mounted on said rst named sleeve and forming a means wherebyv the openings may .be closed for confining the oil within the bailer, a valve arranged at the forward end of said sleeve, and a bailer bottom supporting said valve and being connected to the forward end of said sleeve, said bailer bottom limiting the forward movement of said second named sleeve, and having means providing a seal between the first and second named sleeves.

v 8. A bailer for oil wells comprising a sleeve having openings substantially greater in area than the cross sectional area of the sleeve whereby the mud may be freely discharged, a second sleeve mounted on said first named sleeve and forming a means whereby the openings may be closed for coniining the oil within the bailer, a valve arranged at the forward end of said first named sleeve, a bailer bottom supporting said valve and being connected to the forward end of said sleeve, said bailer bottom limiting the forward movement of said second named sleeve, and means whereby the second named sleeve may be locked in an elevated position A above said openings.

9. A bailer for oil wells comprising a sleeve having openings, a second sleeve mounted on said first named sleeve and formn. -a means whereby the openings may be closed for confining the oil within the bailer, a fvalve arranged at the forward end of said sleeve, a bailer bottom supporting said' valve and being connected to the forward end of said first named sleeve, said bailer bottom limiting the forward movement of said second named sleeve, means whereby the second named sleeve may be locked in an elevated position fabove said openings, and means whereby the second named sleeve may be locked mits lowest position.

10. The construction set forth in claim 9,

lthe rear. end of said bailer bottom being provided with an annular groove to receive the forward end of said second named sleeve.

11. A bailer comprising a sleeve having openings for the discharge of material, a second sleeve mounted on said first named sleeve and adapted to extend over said openings for closing the same, said second named sleeve being provided with L-shaped slots, and pins carried by said first named sleeve and adapted to be received within said slots, whereby to lock the second named sleeve in position.

12. A bailer comprising a body 4havin discharge means, a gravity actuated s eeve mounted on said body and adapted to close said. discharge means, said sleeve being provided with a slot having a branch, and a locking pin carried by said body and adapted to be received in said branch to lock the sleeve over said discharge means, said pin constituting a means to limit the forward movement of the sleeve and thereby prevent the loss of the same.

13. A bailer comprising a body having discharge means, a gravity actuated sleeve mounted on said body and adapted to close said discharge means, said sleeve being provided with a slot having a branch, and a locking pin carried by said body and adapted to be received in said branch to lock the sleeve over said discharge means, said pin constituting a means to limit the forward movement of the sleeve and thereby prevent the loss of the same, and a bailer bottom connected to said body and cooperating with said pin in limiting the forward movement of said sleeve.

14.r A bailer comprising inner and outer sleeves, the inner sleeve being provided with discharge means, and a bailer bottom secured to said inner sleeve and having its rear portion rabbetted to snugly receive the forward portion of said outer sleeve whereby to provide a seal between the inner and outer sleeves.

15. A bailer comprising inner and outer sleeves, the inner sleeve being provided with discharge means, and a bailer bottom secured to said inner sleeve and having its rear portion rabbetted to snugly receive the forward portion of said outer sleeve whereby to provide a seal between the inner and outer sleeves, and means cooperating with the bailer bottom to limit the forward movement of the outer sleeve, said last named means being adapted to lock the outer sleeve in its foremost position.

ALEXANDER BOYN TON. 

